Part 2: How important is a biblical worldview? Episode 30

Episode 30 show notes

In this episode, we’re going to talk about worldview as we continue our conversation with Dr. Bill Brown, senior fellow of worldview and culture at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

How would you define your worldview? Would you say that you have a biblical worldview? How do you know? And when it comes to integrating a biblical worldview into your military profession, what does that look like? How can you steward everyone that you lead—even those with other worldviews?

These are some of the topics we’ll cover today, and Dr. Brown also provides a short recap of how to engage with the culture before jumping into the discussion of integrating your worldview with your profession.

Leading the discussion with Dr. Brown is OCF’s executive director, Brig Gen David Warner, USAF (ret).

Conversation outline

[1:59] Dr. Brown explains the importance of understanding the culture so that, as a believer, you can learn to properly engage with the culture. At the very core of every culture is an underlying worldview, which centers on one thing: Does God exist?

[3:25] Dr. Brown recaps three reactions Christians typically take when it comes to engaging with or responding to the culture.

[3:30] Reaction 1: Being offended by the culture to the point that one withdraws entirely from the culture and will not interact with it.

[3:59] Reaction 2: Being enamored with culture so that the believer assimilates into the culture and is indistinguishable from the culture.

[4:24] Reaction 3: Having a heart broken for the culture—being so burdened by the despair, the hopelessness, the sin—and engaging with it to see lives transformed. The believer is separate from the culture but is also involved with it.

[5:46-17:41] A discussion of the importance of adopting a biblical worldview, specifically for those serving in the military, who are often moved around frequently because of new assignments or deployments.

[6:25] Worldviews fall into three main categories: first, there is no God and everything is physical (naturalism or atheism); second, everything is God and everything experiences an undetermined cycle of birth and rebirth (transcendentalism); and third, there is one God who created everything and we are made in His image and likeness.

[7:45] “Just because you read the Bible doesn’t mean you have a biblical worldview. We may not live what we profess, but we will live what we believe.”

[8:52] How does one reconcile their worldview and profession—on the one hand, serving Christ, and at the same time, serving honorably and faithfully in the military? The answer lies within culture.

[10:04] “There’s this myth of neutrality—no God, no nothing. If you say there’s no God, that’s essentially an atheistic worldview.”

[11:33] As a leader, recognize that the men and women you are leading belong to God, not you. You are given the opportunity to steward them in this period of their life, and it’s here that having a Christ-centered worldview will shape how you see them.

[14:46] Look for opportunities in uniform to live out your biblical worldview, but do it in a way that is respectful of those with a differing worldview.

[16:34] “If you have a Christ-centered worldview as a leader, everybody benefits—even those who aren’t Christians.”

[17:41] Dr. Brown shares insights into the Colson Fellows Program and the mission of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

[19:04] “You don’t have to be big to make a big difference… One person who is committed can be far more effective than 1,000 who are only interested.”

[20:51] Is there an intersection between part of what OCF does and part of what the Colson Center does?

[24:08] What motivates and influences others most is living out your faith and making an impact in all areas of your life, rather than parking your faith at the door when you go into work.

[26:59] Dr. Brown shares some of the joys and success stories of lives impacted by the Colson Center.

[29:49] Gen Warner suggests integrating a Colson Fellows-like program within OCF and the Integrated Faith Project.

[32:52] Final thoughts on worldview.